Despite not doing a lot yesterday I'm astonishingly tired after work today; I can't decide if I've done more because everyone wanted to know about the trip, or if the trip left me needing more recovery time than the late return back allowed. Which makes it hard to decide what the right approach is to tackle it :) Miles likes mud pits? A farm is probably the right place to find mud pits....
The mud pit "If I had to guess," said Ernest, "I'd say I was sent to Carcosa. But I was coming here to do some research on that place, so until I've completed it, it will have to remain a guess."
He had appeared in the middle of Scotland Yard, practically in the same place that he had departed from, standing and looking bemused. Samual had started running towards him at once, and then had toppled over, his arms and legs ceasing to obey him. Behind him, one Magister reached out a hand towards Samual, depriving him of the ability to stand or walk, and the other, female Magister gestured sharply but expansively and a silver curtain of shimmery light surrounded Lord Derby. Who walked through it while Samual tried not to scream. The Magister's had let Samual up then: that Lord Derby could walk through Caelor's Curtain Wall unharmed guaranteed to them that he was human and not demon. A runner was sent to notify the Peacekeepers that Lord Derby had returned, and then Lord Derby was led inside to a cramped chamber with thick walls and an odd smell of aniseed in the air. There he was seated, Samual was allowed to stand behind his chair, and the Magisters sat down with him to talk about what had happened.
"Carcosa is not a place many know of," said the female Magister. She had introduced herself as Annette. "For most people even knowing that name would be perilous." "I have the King's Warrant," said Lord Derby. "You may verify it." "You understand that if you don't have a King's Warrant then the verification will kill you?" Lord Derby nodded, while Samual wondered if the tightness in his chest was a sign of a heart attack. "Very well," said Annette, and focused, pulling power lightly around herself and then Lord Derby, configuring it to respond to the shape of the King's Warrant. As she did so and Lord Derby felt a familiar chill sensation across his face and wrists, like mud drawn freshly from a mud pit, he suddenly wondered if being taken to another plane of existence could break the Warrant. "Indeed you do," said Annette. There was a note of humour in her voice. She did something and it was as though the chill mud swirled about Ernest and washed over his arms and thighs. "Keith, I think we were expected to see this." The other Magister somehow leaned into her control of the power and observed Lord Derby as well. "I agree," he said quietly. "The King trusts you a lot, milord. We are... instructed to grant you the same consideration." "Thank-you." Lord Derby tried not to shiver; the mud seemed to crawling over his chest and up his neck. "Have you confirmed the Warrant now?" "Oh! Yes," said Annette, releasing the power. "Thank-you, it's not often we get to see such a well-constructed piece of Art. You must have had that put on by a Lord Magical." "Andy," said Lord Derby absently. Then he heard his own words. "I mean Memnith, Lord Vileburn, of course," he said. "We were at school together." "I'm sure they must have been interesting days," said Keith. "Well, if you're feeling up to it, we'd like to hear what happened while you in perhaps-Carcosa."
Ever since it got really hot here this summer, the boys have been playing with the garden hose in the front yard and keeping cool by hosing each other down and playing in the mud pits they create.
So, typically, I come home from work to find them in the yard, absolutely covered in dirt and mud. And happy as can be.
Morganna - yes, pretty much :)
Greg - I imagine the late return had the most to do with it, but I hope you managed to recover one way or another!
I really do enjoy how you use Samual throughout this tale. And of course the story itself has fully captured my imagination.
3 comments:
Ooey, gooey, and sticky
Attracts children from miles around
Much to the dismay of their parents.
Despite not doing a lot yesterday I'm astonishingly tired after work today; I can't decide if I've done more because everyone wanted to know about the trip, or if the trip left me needing more recovery time than the late return back allowed. Which makes it hard to decide what the right approach is to tackle it :)
Miles likes mud pits? A farm is probably the right place to find mud pits....
The mud pit
"If I had to guess," said Ernest, "I'd say I was sent to Carcosa. But I was coming here to do some research on that place, so until I've completed it, it will have to remain a guess."
He had appeared in the middle of Scotland Yard, practically in the same place that he had departed from, standing and looking bemused. Samual had started running towards him at once, and then had toppled over, his arms and legs ceasing to obey him. Behind him, one Magister reached out a hand towards Samual, depriving him of the ability to stand or walk, and the other, female Magister gestured sharply but expansively and a silver curtain of shimmery light surrounded Lord Derby. Who walked through it while Samual tried not to scream.
The Magister's had let Samual up then: that Lord Derby could walk through Caelor's Curtain Wall unharmed guaranteed to them that he was human and not demon. A runner was sent to notify the Peacekeepers that Lord Derby had returned, and then Lord Derby was led inside to a cramped chamber with thick walls and an odd smell of aniseed in the air. There he was seated, Samual was allowed to stand behind his chair, and the Magisters sat down with him to talk about what had happened.
"Carcosa is not a place many know of," said the female Magister. She had introduced herself as Annette. "For most people even knowing that name would be perilous."
"I have the King's Warrant," said Lord Derby. "You may verify it."
"You understand that if you don't have a King's Warrant then the verification will kill you?"
Lord Derby nodded, while Samual wondered if the tightness in his chest was a sign of a heart attack.
"Very well," said Annette, and focused, pulling power lightly around herself and then Lord Derby, configuring it to respond to the shape of the King's Warrant. As she did so and Lord Derby felt a familiar chill sensation across his face and wrists, like mud drawn freshly from a mud pit, he suddenly wondered if being taken to another plane of existence could break the Warrant.
"Indeed you do," said Annette. There was a note of humour in her voice. She did something and it was as though the chill mud swirled about Ernest and washed over his arms and thighs. "Keith, I think we were expected to see this."
The other Magister somehow leaned into her control of the power and observed Lord Derby as well. "I agree," he said quietly. "The King trusts you a lot, milord. We are... instructed to grant you the same consideration."
"Thank-you." Lord Derby tried not to shiver; the mud seemed to crawling over his chest and up his neck. "Have you confirmed the Warrant now?"
"Oh! Yes," said Annette, releasing the power. "Thank-you, it's not often we get to see such a well-constructed piece of Art. You must have had that put on by a Lord Magical."
"Andy," said Lord Derby absently. Then he heard his own words. "I mean Memnith, Lord Vileburn, of course," he said. "We were at school together."
"I'm sure they must have been interesting days," said Keith. "Well, if you're feeling up to it, we'd like to hear what happened while you in perhaps-Carcosa."
Ever since it got really hot here this summer, the boys have been playing with the garden hose in the front yard and keeping cool by hosing each other down and playing in the mud pits they create.
So, typically, I come home from work to find them in the yard, absolutely covered in dirt and mud. And happy as can be.
Morganna - yes, pretty much :)
Greg - I imagine the late return had the most to do with it, but I hope you managed to recover one way or another!
I really do enjoy how you use Samual throughout this tale. And of course the story itself has fully captured my imagination.
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